Water based platform structure



Feb. 25, 1964 R. H. SAMPSON 3,121,997

. WATER BASED PLATFORM STRUCTURE Filed April 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG. 1 l4 //0 INVENTOR /9 PM? 64 S/Jnpsou BY (20%! M Arron Era;

R. H- SAMPSQN WATER BASED PLATFORM STRUCTURE Feb. 25, 1964 Filed April17, 1961 F I E. d-

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6'0 INVENTOR R44? 4 SAMPSM/ lrramyers United StatesPatent Ufi ice 3,l2l,997 Fatented Feb. 25, 1964 3,121,997 WATER BASEDPLATFGRM STRUCTURE Ralph H. Sampson, 3121 Zenith Ave. S., MinneapolisJill, Minn. Filed Apr. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 103,421 4- Qlaims. (CI. 61-46)This invention relates to a water based platform or deck for supportinga superstructure, and which of itself is anchored by elongated membersor piles having their lower end portions imbedded in the bottom or bedof the body of water. This type of structure is commonly referred to asa tower and is used for various purposes, such as off-shore oil and gasdrilling operations, for radar stations and for other various purposes.

The members or piles used to support such structures are subjected tosubstantial butfeting and battering from turbulent waters as caused byhigh winds and storm conditions.

in the present construction of water based platforms nothing appears tohave been done to insulate the piles from the shock and strain caused bythe buifeting and battering of the action of the water as during severestorm conditions which has a cumulative effect in weakening and causinginjury to the piles. It is desirable to have an enclosing structureabout the piles to act as a buffer or cushion to save the pilesrelatively harmless from the action of the Water and to be constructedand arranged to form a yielding barrier about the individual piles.

Thus it is an object of this invention is connection with a water basedpile supported platform to provide a butler or cushioning structure tokeep the piles free from the buffeting and battering from the action ofwater to which they would normally be subjected.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a sleeve-likestructure about each of the piles substantially the full height thereofand being spaced thereabout and being anchored in like manner as thepiles and having an upper free end portion resiliently secured adjacentthe upper portions of the piles to have a cushioning effect relative tothe piles in absorbing the shock of the action of Water.

It is another object of this invention to provide enclosures for pilessupporting a water based platform with said enclosures beingrespectively substantially the same height as the piles and being spacedabout the piles and being so anchored in connection with said platformthat the enclosure yieldingly absorbs the shock resulting from theaction of water to hold the piles free from the effects of the action ofsaid water.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation;

PEG. 2 is a top plan View with some portions thereof shown in dottedline;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scaletaken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scaleshowing a modification of a portion of applicants device;

FIG. 5 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4 asindicated by the arrows; and

'FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale in vertical sectionshowing a further modification of a portion of applicants device.

Referring to the drawings, the applicants structure is indicateddiagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprising a platform it which may be of anydesirable form in plan, such as being triangular in form, as indicatedin FIG. 2. Said platform may be variously constructed and saidconstruction will be in keeping with the superstructure to be supportedthereby. Said platform comprises sides 11, 1Q, 13, a top 14 and a bottom15.

Supporting said platform 10 are a plurality of piles i8, i9 and2csuitably secured to the bottom of said platform adjacent each cornerthereof and extending doW-n- Wardly to have their lower end portions18%;, 19a and 26a respectively imbedded in the bottom 22 of the body ofwater 23. Said piles are commonly in the form of tubular metal columnsof suitable transverse dimension and are here indicated as beingcylindrical in form.

Respectively disposed about each of said piles are openended enclosures25, 26 and 27. Said enclosures may be variously formed and are hereindicated as being in the form of cylindrical sleeves and sufiicientlygreater in diameter than said piles to be suitably spaced thereabout.Said enclosures have their lower end portions anchored in said bed 22and their upper end portions extend substantially the full height ofsaid piles and are spaced somewhat from the bottom of said platform itSaid enclosures will be formed of suitable materials to have sufficientrigidity to withstand the effect of the action of Water as stirred bystream conditions and yet have sufficient flexibility to yieldlongitudinally.

Said enclosures may be variously resiliently or flexibly anchored attheir upper end portions. in the embodiment of the invention indicatedin FIGS. 1-3, a plurality of pillow cushions 3t) are indicated arrangedand constructed to be inflated through an air supply line 32 which willbe connected to a supply of air under suitable pressure. Said cushions36 will be formed of suitable resilient material to provide adequatecushioning effect and at the same time to resiliently Withstand asubstantial degree of pressure. As here indicated, said cushions 30 arespaced about said piles at the upper end portions of said enclosures andare spaced apart from one another to an extent to provide a cushioningeffect in whatever direction said enclosures may be deflected. Saidcushions 3% may be suitably secured in operating position in variousknown Ways which form no part of the present invention and are not herespecifically described.

In operation, normally a water based tower is supported by piles whichare directly in contact with the surrounding body of water and aredirectly affected thereby when the Water is made turbulent as by stormconditions. The piles are substantially rigid in nature to adequatelysupport the platform, and sulfer from the pounding which they receivefrom the action of water. The adverse efiect suifered from the action ofwater is cumulative. Said piles are therefore subject to substantialinjury and would normally be replaced at intervals when located inbodies of water which are subject to frequent storm conditions.

Applicants enclosures extend substantially the full height with respectto each of the piles and are anchored in the like manner as are thepiles. The enclosures are suitably spaced about said piles with saidcushions 39 acting as resilient spacers between the upper end portionsof the enclosures and the adjacent surfaces of the piles. Thus theenclosures insulate the piles their full height from the action of waterwith the enclosures presenting a yielding surface to the efiect of thewater with said cushions permitting a certain degree of movement on thepart of the enclosures in being deflected in whatever direction they aremoved by the water. Said cushions are self restorative and normally urgethe enclosures to positions concentric with their respective piles. Inthe present embodiment of the invention the piles act as core supportingmembers for the cushions, but the resilience of the cushions inconnection with the enclosures absorbs a su stantial amount of the shockwhich would otherwise be directly received by the piles as a result ofthe pounding of the water. It is immaterial whether or not theenclosures become filled with water as they are open at the top andthere is adequate space between the cushions for drainage of water.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, a modification of applicants device isshown as to a portion thereof. Each of the piles and enclosures will beidentically treated though only pile 19 and enclosure 26 are here shownin connection with this modification in which circumferentially disposedabout the pile 1% and suitably secured to and depending from theunderside 15 of the platform 10 are a plurality of angled brackets 35.Disposed about the upper edge portion of said enclosure 26 and overlyingeither side thereof is an annular vertically split collar 37 havingspaced sides 37a and 37b at either side of said upper end portion ofsaid enclosure with said spaced sides having small inwardly angledflange portions gripping said enclosure therebetween. Said sides will besuitably secured together, as by bolts, to form a rigid support for thepneumatic cylinders 41?. Said cylinders may be variously formed and arehere indicated as being of a common design of a compressed air type ofcylinder having housings 40a respectively pivotally secured by Ubrackets 42 to the respective adjacent faces of the angled brackets 35and having their respective pistons 40!) pivotally secured at their freeends to the respective adjacent sides of said collar by U brackets 45.Said pneumatic cylinders 40 are connected to a source of air underpressure by the air supply lines 32.

In operation, the effect of using compressed air cylinders is similar tothe effect received from the use of the pneumatic cushions aboveindicated.

However with the use of said cylinders and with the cylinders anchoringthe upper ends of the enclosures to surrounding depending brackets fromthe platform, the piles within the enclosures will be relatively freefrom any effect of the pounding of water to the extent of the resilienceor degree of air pressure present in the cylinders. Said air pressuremay be regulated as desired. Said cylinders are spaced about saidenclosures to absorb the effect of the pounding of water against theenclosures in whatever direction the enclosures may be deflected andhave a rapid restorative action in normally urging their respectiveenclosures to a position concentric With their respective piles.

With respect to FIG. 6, a further modification is shown of a portion ofapplicants device in which an annular pneumatic endless tubular memberis shown formed of suitably flexible and resilient material to providean adequate cushion to absorb the shock of the pounding of the water asit deflects said enclosure Said tubular member 58 is illustrateddisposed about the outer side of said enclosure 26 and is supportedbetween said enclosure and said brackets 35 spaced about said enclosure.Said tubular member will be suitably secured in operating position in amanner known in the art between said enclosure and said brackets andwill be connected to a suitable source of air under pressure by means ofthe air supply line 32.

Said annular tubular member operates to provide substantially the sameeffect as the pillow cushions and pneumatic cylinders above described.However it is seen that in the use of an annular tubular member, adeflection in any one direction will divert a portion of air from agiven point in said member to other points thereabout and will thusincrease the pressure in the other points about said tubular memberwhich provides a substantial amount of pressure for a restorative effectin urging the enclosure against the pressure of the water to its normalposition of concentric alignment with the pile therein.

Thus it is seen that we have provided a very simple construction for thesubstantial protection of piles used in supporting water based platformsto save said piles relativeh, free from the damaging effects of thepounding of water when the body of surrounding water is agitated bystorm conditions.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention which, generallystated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects aboveset forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A water based structure having in combination, a platform, aplurality of piles supporting said platform above vater level and havingtheir lower end portions anchored in the bottom of a body of water, asubstantially rigid enclosure about each pile spaced thereabout beingsomewhat short of the full height thereof but extending above waterlevel, said enclosures respectively having their lower end portionsanchored in the water bottom about the anchored portions of said piles,a plurality of supporting brackets depending from the lower side of saidplatform and spaced about each of said piles, resilient meansrespectively disposed between said brackets and each of said enclosuresto cushion the effect on said enclosures of the turbulent action ofwater from whatever direction to save said piles free from the effect ofsuch action.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said resilient means comprisingan annular inflated tubular member disposed respectively about the outerside of the upper portion of each of said enclosures having saidbrackets spaced thereabout.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, said resilient means comprisingpneumatic cylinders respectively pivoted at one end to said brackets andpistons respectively associated with said cylinders being pivoted attheir free ends to adjacent sides of said enclosures.

4. A water based structure having in combination, a platform, aplurality of piles anchored in the bottom of a body of water andsupporting said platform above water level, each pile having asubstantially rigid enclosure spaced therefrom thereabout forsubstantially the full height thereof and extending above water level,said enclosures being respectively anchored at the bottom of said bodyof water, and a plurality of resilient means carri xl at the upper endportion of each of said enclosures respectively connecting saidenclosures with said platform to resist transverse movement of saidenclosures, and to cushion the effect of Water impact against saidenclosures from whatever direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,817,634 McCall Dec. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,661 Italy June 28,1950 1,173,701 France Oct. 27, 1958

1. A WATER BASED STRUCTURE HAVING IN COMBINATION, A PLATFORM, APLURALITY OF PILES SUPPORTING SAID PLATFORM ABOVE WATER LEVEL AND HAVINGTHEIR LOWER END PORTIONS ANCHORED IN THE BOTTOM OF A BODY OF WATER, ASUBSTANTIALLY RIGID ENCLOSURE ABOUT EACH PILE SPACED THEREABOUT BEINGSOMEWHAT SHORT OF THE FULL HEIGHT THEREOF BUT EXTENDING ABOVE WATERLEVEL, SAID ENCLOSURES RESPECTIVELY HAVING THEIR LOWER END PORTIONSANCHORED IN THE WATER BOTTOM ABOUT THE ANCHORED PORTIONS OF SAID PILES,A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING BRACKETS DEPENDING FROM THE LOWER SIDE OF SAIDPLATFORM AND SPACED ABOUT EACH OF SAID PILES, RESILIENT MEANSRESPECTIVELY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BRACKETS AND EACH OF SAID ENCLOSURESTO CUSHION THE EFFECT ON SAID ENCLOSURES OF THE TURBULENT ACTION OFWATER FROM WHATEVER DIRECTION TO SAVE SAID PILES FREE FROM THE EFFECT OFSUCH ACTION.